The Atlantic Coastal Plain is a region of low elevation along the East Coast of the United States. It is 2,200 miles long, from Long Island,^[1][2] to the Georgia/Florida part of the Eastern Continental Divide. The plain is bordered on the west by the Piedmont plateau, which is a flat area bordered by the main Appalachian mountains, and where the plateau and the plain meet is called the Atlantic Seaboard Fall Line. It is bordered to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, and to the south by the Floridian province. The Outer Lands archipelagic region forms the insular northeastern extension of the Atlantic coastal plain.

The plain is not very high, averaging around 900 or less feet from sea level. It extends about 50 to 100 kilometers inland.^[3] The coastal plain is very wet, with many rivers, marshes, and swampland. It is composed mainly of sedimentary rock and sediment, and the land is primarily used for agriculture.^[4] The coastal plain also includes the Carolina Sandhills as well. Sometimes, on maps, the coastal plain is split into two northern and southern regions. Sea levels rising is also an issue, as ocean water (Or salty water) starts to kill plants that can't use saltwater in photosynthesis.^[3] Groundwater supplies are also vulnerable along the East Coast. With industrial and urban development (like houses, factories, and roads), many inland salt (with saltwater) marshes are disappearing.

Life in the Atlantic Plain

Plant Life

Vegetation is also experiencing issues with the rapid changes the plain is going through, too. Forests are common on this plain. In the north, there are hardwood forests that include white, black, red, chestnut and scarlet oaks. The forests in a wider area include hickory, long-leaf pines, sweet gum, magnolia and bay leaf trees.

Animal Life

Many animals also inhabit the region, like toads, salamanders and frogs. Gray foxes inhabit the whole region, while the Lower Keys marsh rabbit and manatees live in mainly the Florida Keys. Fish, including the threatened Alabama sturgeon, inhabit the area too. Waterfowl, wading birds and a variety of shorebirds make their home in the region.